Thousands of Paper Hearts
by Suboi Airi
Summary: GerJap. This is a slight continuation of 'Folded Paper Hearts' He always seemed to spend Christmas alone, folding paper hearts with unwished wishes.. This year however.. Perhaps the Hearts may have heard him. It is not as lonely as before.


Hihi Minna-sama~~ Suboi Airi desu~~~~

Belated Christmas fic I know, but I still hope you would enjoy it ^^

WARNING: GERMANY X JAPAN dont like, please click back. Now.

This is kind of a continuation of my other story 'Folded Paper Hearts' If you want more context for this whole thing, please read that first. But on the whole, I suppose you can just read it as it's own story.

-Start-

A paper heart. How many of them had he made over that years..? Hundreds.. perhaps thousands... He hadn't counted, but if he had... How many would that have made..? A paper heart for every celebration he spent alone when he should be spending it with the people who he appreciated and who appreciate him back. New years. Valentines day. White day. So many days.. and now finally this. Christmas.

It was Christmas eve.. All his shopping had been done. Presents had been wrapped, Presents had been sent. The house was decorated, and in his fridge sat a small Christmas log. It was small, because he had no reason to order a big one. Who would he eat it with? Even then, when he bought the smallest size one, it was always too big. It was meant for two. He always had extra that he would leave uneaten. He would finish it after Christmas. Leftovers.

Even when he was done with all the Christmas preparations, his hands still twitched to do something. He made himself tea and sat by the balcony in his usual spot. Perhaps that would help to calm him down. As per usual, soon Pochi and Tama came along to accompany him. Still, his hands were restless. A restless body meant a restless mind. But what had gotten him so worked up? It was not uncommon throughout the past few years where he would suddenly lose his tranquil calm. But it very apparent during these holidays.

He had been folding much more paper hearts lately, to try and give his hands something to do. He thought of doing a crane. Or a frog. But it always came to be a heart. Always. When he was alone on such days, his hands would only fold hearts. He had wondered why on passing occasion, but he never thought too deep into it. He did not want to know. He was certain he knew the answer, but he did not want to know it. He was somebody of routine. He did not appreciate sudden unpredictable changes. What he knew.. it may cause that. So he never thought about it, keeping his mind busy with something else.

His pets tried to get his attention. Pochi pushed the cup of tea closer to him. He looked up. The sun was slowly setting, no longer at it's highest point. His tea was already cold. It was probably time to make dinner. Pushing the pile of folded paper hearts away, he got up and went to the kitchen. What dinner would be good? Something nice. Something usual. Some salmon and miso with rice? That sounded nice enough. He got to work to prepare for dinner.

Halfway through, the phone rang. That was odd. Who would be calling him..? Wiping his hands on his while apron, he reached for the phone.

_Moshi moshi. This is-_

_Oh? I see._

_could you please send me the details first?_

_Ah.. Hai. I understand._

_Eto.. I shall see what I can do._

_Yes. Thank you. Good bye._

A small party.. A small get together. Should he go..? It was a very last minute invitation. Was it sincere then? But when the word small is there.. Small is a subjective word.. How small is small..? He did not want to go to big parties. Perhaps he would stay at home. Decline the invitation. Do what he usually did. Yes, that may be good. Still, it would not be good to call so early on. No, he needed to wait for a while. That way it would not sound too hasty.

Making his decision, he went back to cooking. It would be good to do something productive when waiting instead of flopping down uselessly and complaining about the wait. It was much more practical and beneficial. The people he respected did so, so it would be good to follow in their footsteps. Even if their footsteps may be younger then his.. it would be good to keep up with what they were doing. Look at the blond haired, blue eyed Germanic nation that he respected so much. That person was younger, but still very much respected.

He sighed as he continued his work, thinking about clear blue eyes. It would be nice to meet them again whether formally or informally. He liked those blue eyes, and he liked being around them, whether he was noticed or not. Of course when he thought of those blue eyes, another pair would appear. A hazel pair, with an orange tint to them. That was accompanied with a large smile and brown hair with a curl at the side. The three of them made a group. It would be bad to leave anyone of them out, though he himself felt left out sometimes.

With all those thoughts filling his head and keeping it busy, dinner was done fast. Preparing the table and setting the food down in their respective places, he made sure to first feed his pets so that they could eat together. However, just as he had poured their food into their respective dinnerware, there was a knock on the door and a call of his name. He went to answer it.

There he saw the brown eyes he thought about earlier and true enough, it was accompanied by a wide smile. The smile told him about wanting to spend Christmas together and he was pleasantly surprised. But he was also panicked. He had already prepared dinner only enough for himself. He was glad for the company but he needed to prepare as a host! That was when cool blue eyes revealed themselves. The blue eyes that made the group complete. The blue eyes that he found liking more and more.

The blue eyes told him that there was no need to prepare for anything because they had brought their own food and all the preparations they needed. The blue eyes apologised for the sudden intrusion and how it was such a last minute plan, but he, the host, would have none of it.

He welcomed them in and apologised for the state of his house that was not prepared for guests at all. He played as good a host as he could, but the brown eyes with the wide smile managed to see his dinner spread out on the table. They then took out their own food and beverages and laid them on the table as well. The table was full with food and the three of them sat happily to have their feast.

It was joyful with much silly antics, and fun laughter. The company was wonderful and he enjoyed himself very much. Instead of spending the time alone, he was spending it with those that he trusted and appreciated. He hoped that they were doing the same thing. Drinks were the next on the menu. Wine, Sake and beer. With that came small talk and reminisces. He himself did not talk much, choosing to observe and bask in the company of his friends, when suddenly the one with brown eyes and a smile had a handphone call.

The smile needed to go and be with the one he loved. Completely understandable, but now there would be a missing person in the group. Still, he sent the smile off at the door and wished him a safe journey back to his loved one. The blue eyes said the same. It was not long until the smile was gone and then only him and the blue eyes were left.

The blue eyes suggested that they returned to the table, and he followed along meekly. How awkward it was. He usually preferred to let others talk while he listened, but it would be odd to hear the blue eyes ramble about any subject besides football. He internally sighed as the table that was once loud and cheerful was lapsed into silence. The blue eyes drank the beer and he drank the sake. Both were silent.

He wondered if the blue eyes were going to leave as well. Leave him due to the fact that it was so awkward that it may be better to simply leave. He was tempted to voice his question in a round about manner to see if he would really spend Christmas all alone again, folding more paper hearts, when the other noticed the pile of origami that was left at the balcony. It was a miracle they were not swept away by the wind.

Since the blue eyes asked about them, he answered. He would not have even thought about not answering.

_It is simply something I did when my hands wished to do something._

The blue eyes looked at them in interest. Then he asked if he would teach him how to make them. He was flattered, certainly, but what would the blue eyes want from some origami hearts? Perhaps it was something to make them both feel less awkward? Ah.. that sounded as clever as the blue eyes were. The wonderful bright mind behind that blue stare would definitely have figured that and thus asked for it. He appreciated the gesture very much. It.. it was nice. He would not be left alone so soon.

Folding paper hearts is a fun activity to teach. Even if the other was not as delicate as folding origami may require. They spent a long time simply folding hearts. Simple hearts, bigger more complicated hears, hearts that popped out and standing hearts as well. How time flew during that and before he knew it, it was already Christmas. He looked at the blue eyes in wonder. Did time really fly by so fast..? He could hardly believe it. Still, some words were necessary.

_Meri Kurisumasu_

He said to those bright blue eyes that were staring intently at him. Staring so intently like he was the most interesting thing on the world. That stare made the blood rush to his cheeks and he looked away in embarrassment. He was not used to such attention at all. But.. but he liked it.. He liked the feeling of that blue stare being directed at him in such a manner. He liked it a lot. Why..? Why would this happen..? No. It couldnt happen. It was a misunderstanding and the Christmas romanticism speaking. It was not true.

_Frohe Weihnachten_

He heard the deep baritone of the blue eyes say.

There, two people, one with brown eyes and black hair, and the other with blue eyes and blond hair, sat together at the balcony. They watched the snow fall together. It was calm. It was peaceful. It was warm. Around them, dozens and dozens of folded origami littered the floor, surrounding them in a small garden of paper hearts. The air around them was soft. It was gentle. It was serene. It was filled with something they both could not describe. A feeling of slight magic and wonder. A feeling that coursed through them and made them feel suddenly so different.

As they watched the snow fall slowly, gently, gracefully, the blue eyes spoke.

_You have made many perfectly shaped paper hearts. Do you do them often?_

The brown eyes paused for a while before answering in his usual calm way.

_Thank you for your complements.. Yes.. I suppose I do it often enough. I fold them many times in a year, usually during such festivals. I have been folding them for a very long time.._

There was a small pause between them once those words were said. Brown eyes were slightly anxious of his words and their effects, blue eyes were thinking them through and wondering what to say. The silence made the brown eyes nervous but he forced himself to stay calm and kept his eyes on the snow. Large, coarse hands as opposed to smaller dainty hands picked up a heart that they had folded. It was not as perfectly shaped as the ones those dainty hands made, but it was still recognisibly his best heart. The blue eyes observed it carefully while saying the words.

_Hmm.. you must have folded many of them. How many do you think you have folded? Have you kept them all?_

How many he had folded? Many. Too many of them. He had folded thousands and thousands because his hands would not keep still. Why would he count such a thing? Why would he want to know how many useless hearts his frustrating hands would fold in retaliation of his want for a calm mind? He never counted. He never cared enough to do so. They were not like cranes after all. They were simply some paper hearts..

But if paper cranes had the power to grant wishes.. why not hearts? Cranes were powerful because of their legends and rich symbolism. Cranes were powerful because of what they mean. What about hearts..? Hearts have a symbol as well. A romantic one. A symbol of love. Love had many legends as well right..? So why not hearts..? But how many hearts were needed to grant a wish for love..? How many hearts would be needed to grant a wish to end the loneliness? But is not that he had ever wished for that before..

Had he kept them..? No. Why would he? They were of no use. they served no practical purpose. Though it would be nice to keep track of how many he had folded so far in order to match with a theory of his.. How many hearts are needed, but what was the point if he folded a heart without making a wish? It would not be practical at all. But either way, he needed to answer the questions.

_Every year I fold at least one.. usually I fold more. Sometimes I find myself folding them without realising it. I do not know the exact amount, but it must be thousands. Thousands and thousands of paper hearts. All born, but for what purpose?_.

Smaller dainty hands picked up a heart that they made and observed it. A small heart that he had folded. Why had he folded it? Why was he not satisfied enough to get some calm and simply watch the other fold his hearts. Why were his hands wanting to fold together with him? It was not something he would usually do at all.

_I do not keep them. Many of them have been crushed and therefore thrown away. Even if they were not crushed.. What use did I have for a paper heart? It is a symbol of love. Something I find I do not have much understanding of for the last many years._

A silence fell between them as expected, but it was not awkward or tense. It was deep and filled with thoughts but more serene. The both of them were just sitting at the balcony, watching the snow. Both in their own thoughts, but both feeling each others company. It was calm. It was tranquil. It was nice. The brown eyes looked up to the sky and observed the flakes dancing in the wind.

There he thought about the hearts that he had folded so long ago. he tried to remember every single one. He would have missed some out, no doubt, but there were much more that he remembered. Where were the now? he asked himself. In his mind, thousands of voices started chiming in his head. These voices had beautiful voices. It was soft and sweet and calm and gentle. He listened to the words that were said.

From the corner of his mind, he dimly felt his lips move, but he heard the words. The words were spoken by him. Words.. stories always wanted to be told. It only manages to when you make yourself susceptible enough to notice them. He trusted words and listened to them. Now the words of the air, the words of the unspoken talked through him.

_Who knows where the paper hearts are are? They could have been incinerated.. or perhaps some children somewhere picked them up to give them homes. Perhaps they are having an adventure like the toy soldier that did not have a leg Perhaps they could be where all the paper hearts would be. Perhaps they are dancing a dance of wishes that were not wished._

_But would they remember the hands that folded them? Would they remember the hands that gripped them so tightly as they dreamed? Would they remember the heart they were pressed against so tightly? Would they be strong enough to remember a wish that was not wished?_

_Perhaps they do. Perhaps they would grant that wish. If a thousand paper cranes could do it, why not thousands of paper hearts that were folded in loneliness?_

Unknown to him, blue eyes frowned at his last line. No, at the last word. Loneliness. Those eyes became serious and they stopped looking at the falling snow. Instead, they focused themselves at the one with brown eyes, him. They whispered one word in response.

_Loneliness.._

In that word, there was understanding, sorrow and a want to make things better. Fiddling with the heart, the blue eyes seemed to get an idea, no one that may have made him embarrassed for being so.. wishy-washy. But it was better then doing nothing. Those coarse hands extended themselves to the direction of the brown eyes. They held a heart that they had folded up to him. They offered the heart up to him. The blue eyes were embarrassed, but they were intense. They had an intention ,and they were going to do it. When those blue eyes spoke, they smouldered.

_Here. Keep this. This is my best one. You should at least keep one heart.. you you can keep this as a gesture of thanks from me for the lesson on how to fold a heart. Keep at least one heart, so that if what you said was true, it can be the medium for the wish. If you cannot just take this heart.. Let me keep your paper heart then as well. It would be an exchange._

Blue eyes met brown for a short moment before the brown ones looked away. Smaller, dainty hands reached out with their own paper heart. A small exchange. A small touch from the action. A blush on both their faces. Hands gripping the exchanged hearts and savoring the feeling of the last vestiges of heat from each others hearts, they looked back at the garden and watched the snow fall.

Things should be different soon... Thousands of voices said in harmony. Amongst those voices, there were two special ones. One came from blue eyes. One came from brown. But they were said together. They were all said in unison.

It is not certain what made them say those words. It was not certain what made them act in that way. Perhaps it was the feel of Christmas in the air. Perhaps it was the magic from the season. Perhaps it was that they were the mediums for the story that wanted to be said. Perhaps it was the power of thousands of folded paper hearts.

It is not certain, and we cannot know for sure, but what was certain was the smile on two faces, sitting at the balcony, surrounded by their Eden of folded paper hearts while clutching a heart that was slightly more important to them in their hands as the snow softly wafted down from the sky.

-suzuku ka mo...

If this is well liked, then I may continue this and really make the third part of the Paper Hearts. Currently this is only the second part of it. The third part would be when they are together and how Christmas would be like for them.

Remember to tell me what you think and please review~~ ^w^


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